what makes a buck drop his horns?

[Maverick]

Is it the weather? How cold or warm it is? Why are they dropping I'm some units but not in others? I'm so confused!

[boneaddict]

Consensus in the science world is light.

[boneaddict]

that being said...........health has something to do with it.


Some say larger animals shed first

Some say animals shed their antlers within the day of every given year

[oldleclercrd]

that being said...........health has something to do with it.


Some say larger animals shed first

Some say animals shed their antlers within the day of every given year

That would be interesting to know if that were true...

[elkboy]

A quick search took me to a study on red deer in Europe (Moyes et al., 2011, Global Change Biology).  Among other things, they found that larger bulls did shed earlier, that bulls that shed earlier grew larger antlers in the following growing season, and that warm temperatures during the previous summer and the current winter moved the dates forward. So, have a warmer winter (like the one we're having now), and deer might shed a bit earlier.  I'll have to poke around- it's an interesting question. 

[Elkslayer]

Well in my neck of the woods they are about 2-3 weeks later than they were last year. I started finding them at food plots on the 9th of Dec last year. The earliest that I saw any shed this year was the 20th of Dec and at least half if not more are still packing.
They also dont shed the same time every year. I have one buck that shed on the 7th of Jan in 2009, Dec 14th in 2010 and this year he shed on Dec 20th.
I have also heard that it has alot to do with the level of testosterone in them.

[stickbuck]

Bucks will typically drop their antlers about the same time of the year, but the weather and the rut can play a part in all of the shedding process. If the weather for instance in Eastern Washington is severely cold and tough on the bucks especially during the rut, it can put alot of stress on a buck. This added stress can play a large part in why some of the larger, more dominant bucks may shed earlier in a year versus year's past. Sometimes, the weather may not be too terribly bad, but a buck's body might get really wound down during the rut and that stress alone can expedite the shedding process. I hope that made sense.

http://www.growingdeer.tv/view/2011/12/30/why-bucks-shed-antlers-early/

[Maverick]

So if they drop late it could mean they had a crappy rut? What to feed them that boosts there testosterone? 

[HornHoarder]

Another thing to mention is bucks that are injured often shed early. The early sheds I found were from a buck that had his eye gouged out during the rut. Last year another buck that was wounded during muzzleloader season was the first to shed.

[steen]

The new year's antlers pushing the old ones out. 

[huntnnw]

I think some of it is hereditary... Mica area for example has a lot of bucks losing antlers in late Novemeber on a consistent basis for 20 + years I have witnessed...then you go to other areas such as Ferry co where bucks dropping in late Nov and early Dec is more of a rarity and seem to generally drop by late January.

[simondude]

Nothing does, they don't have horns.

[sled]

  I have seen some big bulls in manastash, and teanaway with horns in mid to late april.

[JJB11B]

Thats the way God made them   Moms answer to everything

[jnevs23]

Whats the latest you guys have seen?  Ive seen deer in April on 2 different occasions still sporting racks.  One was by Spokane falls cc, he had a full rack.  Then a couple years ago on beacon hill I saw one with a halfer still hanging on.  It was strange.